Midday Prayer for Tuesday: the Hour of Nones and Angelus
Angels, bearers of good tidings, awaken me to joy, to divine presence whenever I experience what is good, true, and beautiful. Let me take great joy in recognizing beauty in the eyes of other good people. It is there if I take time to really see.
Scripture Reading: Mark 8:1-10
In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, 2‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.’ 4His disciples replied, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ 5He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’ 6Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. 7They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. 8They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
Silence: Relax for a few moments and let go of the morning. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths until you feel your body relaxing.
Blessing of Self: I affirm and congratulate myself for....
Lunch Blessing (although it could be used at other times)
Bless my Tuesday with moments of joy.
Bless the calloused hands of migrant workers.
Bless the healing hands of doctors and nurses.
Bless the steady hands of first-responders.
Bless the helping hands of blue-collar workers.
Bless the wisdom of the hands of all leaders.
Bless... (add your own prayer requests here)
Bless the flour covered fingers of bakers.
Bless the texture and pleasing aromas of food.
Bless those who gather.
Bless the breaking of bread.
Blessed Be! Blessed Be! Blessed Be!
Christ at every table,
Christ beside me,
Christ behind me,
Christ around me,
In the breaking of the bread.
Amen.
